MARVEL COMICS

The Avengers #675

Written by Al Ewing, Mark Waid & Jim Zub | Drawn by Pepe Larraz

"Marvel had a good thing going with the Brand New Day era of Amazing Spider-Man. Rather than publish three discrete Spider-Man comics all vying for readers' attention, why not pool that creative talent and have them collaborate on one thrice-monthly book instead? That's basically the thinking with 'No Surrender,' a crossover that causes Avengers, U.S.Avengers and Uncanny Avengers to fold into one weekly Avengers comic over the next four months. As rudderless as this franchise has been of late, it helps bring a newfound sense of focus and drive to the table." -Jesse

7.6

Daredevil #597

Written by Charles Soule | Drawn by Stefano Landini

No writer remains on board Daredevil for too long without tackling a Daredevil vs/ Kingpin story. Charles Soule's pitch for "Mayor Fisk" is strong, but the execution still leaves a lot to be desired. Any ambiguity in terms of the working relationship between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk is basically tossed out the window here, as Soule immediately makes Fisk's villainous intentions clear. That robs this new status quo of a great deal of its drive and uncertainty, making it feel much more like a straightforward clash between Daredevil and his #1 foe. The fact that the conflict gets sidetracked by other players from earlier in Soule's run doesn't help. Nor does the fact that Stefano Landini's art suffers so much whenever the focus is one small, dialogue-driven scenes. The lifeless facial work and the general lack of detail are a constant problem in the first half of this issue. Landini's art picks up once Matt finally dons his costume and unleashes his powers again, but by that point it's hard not to feel frustrated with the general direction of this story. -Jesse

Final Score:

5.4

The Despicable Deadpool #292

Written by Gerry Duggan | Drawn by Matteo Lolli

Deadpool is still on its creative roll that started before Secret Empire, and this issue brings it all back to the evil Steve Rogers and everything bad that Wade Wilson did for Hydra. Gerry Duggan has been digging a very deep hole for Wade, and it just keeps getting bigger. The only real misstep in this issue is the way that Duggan dispatches a long time supporting character in an absolutely heartless way. That character deserves a lot better than they get here. But if Cable had reasons to hate Deadpool after last issue then this is the straw that breaks their relationship for good. On the lighter side, Duggan’s gags are legitimately funny, especially the unexpected reveal of Deadpool’s sidekick. Matteo Lolli’s art is also a treasure and very easy on the eyes. That last splash page is great, and even Deadpool’s prison break-in is rendered in spectacular fashion. This is still Marvel’s most consistently great book, by far. -Blair

Final Score:

8.8

Ms. Marvel #26

Written by G. Willow Wilson | Drawn by Nico Leon

The supporting characters of Ms. Marvel take center stage in one of the series’ most ambitious storylines. Ms. Marvel #26 adds more humor than previous issues as Zoe finds out the difference between CrossFit training and actually fighting in the field. Zoe has always been a personal favorite for me, so it’s nice to see the character have this issue to truly shine as she uses her brain to become her own type of Ms. Marvel. Nico Leon’s pencils match perfectly with Wilson’s humor as Zoe fights a giant toad and teams up with the local nursing home. Ms. Marvel #26 brings back a lackluster villain, but this plot point doesn’t take away from the shining character moments of Zoe, Red Dagger, Nikia, Mike, and Gabe as team Ms. Marvel. -Kat

Final Score:

8.0

Old Man Hawkeye #1

Written by Ethan Sacks | Drawn by Marco Checchetto

"While the aged Wolverine of Mark Millar and Steve McNiven's Old Man Logan has found a new home in the Marvel Universe, many would argue the setting in that story was more compelling than the character himself. Marvel is basically putting that theory to the test with Old Man Hawkeye, a prequel maxi-series that spotlight's Logan's doomed road trip partner. The first issue does immediately tap into the appeal of this dystopian, sun-bleached Marvel landscape, but beyond that, Old Man Hawkeye struggles to establish a clear sense of purpose." -Jesse

7.5

Old Man Logan #33

Written by Ed Brisson | Drawn by Mike Deodato, Jr.

This arc delves into Logan's Japanese history more deeply than any Wolverine comic in years, including bringing back some pretty major characters. So why isn't it connecting more strongly? A lot of that comes down to the mediocre depiction of the Gorgon as a blowhard, Cobra Commander-like villain with an overly complicated evil plan. He lacks the sense of menace he carries in his better stories. Gorgon and Silver Samurai tend to get in the way of the dynamic between Logan and Scarlet Samurai, which should really be the central focus of the story. Fortunately, this issue leaves the plot in a place that suggests that dynamic will dominate more going forward. Artist Mike Deodato and colorist Frank Martin do bring a strong sense of mood to the table thanks to the powerful figures and heavy textures. It very much channels Logan's fragile physical health and weary state of mind. However, Deodato's art always suffers from the fact that his female characters are physically interchangeable. -Jesse

Final Score:

6.4

Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #3

Written by Matthew Rosenberg | Drawn by Joe Bennett

"At this point, Phoenix Resurrection seems destined to take its place alongside the many other disappointing X-Men events of years past. And improvements the series make sin terms of plotting in issue #3 are accompanied by a stark drop in visual quality. This is just one of those comics that seems doomed to take one step back for every step forward." -Jesse

5.7

The Punisher #220

Written by Matthew Rosenberg | Drawn by Guiu Vilanova

With Punisher comics, there's always the question of whether to embrace the crazier side of the Marvel Universe or play it straight. Basically, Garth Ennis' Marvel Knights Punisher or Garth Ennis Punisher MAX? This new arc tries to find a middle ground between the two and hasn't yet succeeded. The general idea of Frank Castle harnessing the War Machine armor and graduating to a whole new ball game is great. But by pitting Frank against a faceless militia and a series of generic, Brand-X Iron Man enemies, the book never finds that sense of fun it's striving for. The majority of the humor comes from the banter between Frank and his A.I. partner, which isn't nearly enough. Nor is the action rendered in such a way as to increase the sense of excitement. Guiu Vilanova's work is marked by odd framing choices, with one figure in a duel almost invariably relegated to the far background of a panel. There's little sense of scale or intensity to the many armored battles in this issue. After three issues, it's enough to wish Frank would just get back to basics. -Jesse

Final Score:

4.7

Runaways #5

Written by Rainbow Rowell | Drawn by Kris Anka

Who are the Runaways? Broken people who are only whole when they are together. Runaways #5 showcases a shattered family picking up the pieces, not of what they use to be, but rather something new. The issue separates the Runaways into pairs: Molly with Gert, Chase with Victor, and Nico with Karolina. Molly and Gert’s storyline nicely unravels the series’ mystery of what’s up with those weird cats, while showcasing Molly as more than the muscle of the group. But my favorite character moment in this issue is between Nico and Karolina. These two have always had a complicated relationship. From the beginning Karolina has been in love with Nico, but when it was time to reveal these feelings Nico rejected them. Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka paint that same scene in this issue, but this time with Nico wanting to give the kiss. Nico finally understands her feelings, but now it’s too late to express them. It plays into this arc’s theme of lost time and opportunities. Kris Anka with his pencils brings such a fun energy to this book with some of the best portrayal of facial expressions in the industry. There are such a wide mix of emotions developed in this issue, and Anka aces all of them. Runaways #5 reminds us that you can never run away from family, no matter how hard you try. -Kat

Final Score:

9.3

She-Hulk #161

Written by Mariko Tamaki | Drawn by Jahnoy Lindsay

One of my favorite aspects of Mariko Tamaki’s take on Jen Walters is how she portrays the character’s inner monologue. Tamaki’s run on Hulk was psychological, but She-Hulk hasn’t been able to fully embrace those threads that made Hulk so pleasurable to read. Tamaki still tries to explore the themes of being a monster, but the inner monologue and her relationship with the villain of this arc isn’t strong enough to convey these emotions. This issue is about "monster vs. monster" in what should feel like a battle to the death, but neither the art nor the script convey this. She Hulk #161’s saving grace is its cliffhanger, which will hopefully lead to Jen taking a deep dive back into the psychological story that originally got me hooked. -Kat

Final Score:

4.8

Star Wars: Darth Vader #10

Written by Charles Soule | Drawn by Giuseppe Camuncoli

"Though they share the same title and lead protagonist, there's not actually a lot in common between the Kieron Gillen/Salvador Larroca and Charles Soule Giuseppe Camuncoli Darth Vader books. Each explores Vader at a very different point in his career as a Sith Lord, and each takes a drastically different approach to depicting the character and his corner of the Star Wars universe. But one thing both books share is the ability to reveal a lot about the motivations and desires of Anakin Skywalker through his actions alone. This issue is as strong a showcase for that quality as any." -Jesse

9.0

Venom #160

Written by Mike Costa w/ Dan Slott | Drawn by Gerardo Sandoval

The Venom Inc. crossover is almost over, but the symbiote-on-symbiote violence is less interesting than a brief moment of reconciliation between Spider-Man and the original Venom. In theory, it should buy some good will between them, but it will probably be ignored in the closing chapter of this crossover. There are a few other fun moments throughout, including Spider-Man briefly forgetting that “the enemy of my enemy” doesn’t necessarily mean that his villains will team up with him against a greater foe. Gerardo Sandoval’s art has a lot of energy and confidence, particularly when Venom attempts to make his sacrifice play. It’s really not a bad issue at all, beyond the fact that it’s just not very exciting. We’ve been down this road many times before, and there’s not a lot that’s unique to this issue or series. -Blair

Final Score:

6.8

X-Men Blue #19

Written by Cullen Bunn | Drawn by R.B. Silva

Cullen Bunn deserves credit for seemingly retconning the revelation about the replacement original five X-Men from the past in a clever way that actually makes sense. I can’t say too much more without giving away the surprise, but Bunn appears to have been setting this up for a while. Even the body language of the X-Men in the past captures the idea of what is really happening. The last few issues had some overt clues about this, and it’s more apparent in retrospect. It really feels like this story is preparing to wrap up the Original Five X-Men story for good, which seemed unlikely as recently as a few months ago. And it has to be said that R.B. Silva’s art is a delight. Seeing a younger Magneto at the height of his powers is stunning, and Silva’s pages are undeniably gorgeous. There is a certain amount of running in place to pad out the storyline. But once the pretenders stand revealed, this “meaningless” tale feels a lot more important in the long run. -Blair

Final Score:

7.7

X-Men Gold Annual #1

If you ever loved Marvel’s first Excalibur team then you might enjoy this reunion issue, “Might” being the operative word because Marc Guggenheim and Leah Williams just can’t quite match the charm of the Chris Claremont and Alan Davis run with these characters. The biggest problem here is that Captain Britain doesn’t seem to have any of his old personality intact, and he fades into the background quickly instead of taking any meaningful focus. The issue does a lot better by Meggan, as she has a very convincing reaction to her baby’s special needs. We’ve seen this baby twist before in the Marvel Universe, but Meggan’s emotional devastation is easily the most affecting part of the issue. The rest of the issue has a tendency to meander, including two pages of the X-Men flying coach for no other reason than they can. This is far from an essential issue, but it’s still a noticeable step above the current X-Men: Gold arc. -Blair

Final Score:

7.3

ARCHIE COMICS

Archie #27

Written by Mark Waid | Drawn by Audrey Mok

Choices. Archie isn’t great at making them. Case in point - the never ending love triangle between Betty and Veronica. Well, at least until Archie #27. This issue puts the classic love triangle on its head. It’s not about Veronica and Betty fighting over Archie. It’s about embracing their individuality. This issue feels like a season finale as it showcases how much Betty, Veronica and even Archie have grown. Betty started her arc with her tip-toeing around Archie as they both figured out who should make the first move after their break up. Now Betty doesn’t want to beat around the bush. She wants straight answers. But this “season’s” strongest development is with Veronica. She entered Riverdale only caring about herself, but in this issue she just wants her friends to be happy, even if that means she must be deprived of her own happiness. Audrey Mok fits Archie’s slice-of-life tone nicely, but still is the weaker aspect of the series as her pencils tend to be too simple at times. Archie #27 modernizes the franchise’s classic love triangle in a story that shows the true reality of the complications that come with relationships and teen romance. -Kat

Final Score:

8.8

IMAGE COMICS

Kingsman: The Red Diamond #5

Written by Rob Williams | Drawn by Simon Fraser

Early on this miniseries seemed intent on offering a more cerebral to the original and to the very over-the-top film franchise. That quality has somewhat faded with time as The Red Diamond has veered in a more action-oriented direction. The book still entertains easily enough, but this issue in particular reads like standard Kingsman fare - the sinister villain has toppled the old world order and Eggsy is racing against the clock to find his hidden lair. More compelling than any global chaos is Eggsy's struggle to save his family, yet he's a very passive player in that particular conflict. This issue also takes a visual hit. Artist Simon Fraser has succeeded in lending his own take to the franchise, but he struggles to bring the right sense of scale and sheer space to the extended underwater sequence in this issue. And because of the formless nature of that environment, the extended vehicle battle has no sense of direction or motion. Hopefully issue #6 can bring the series to a stronger conclusion. -Jesse

Final Score:

5.8

Witchblade #2

Written by Caitlyn Kittredge | Drawn by Robert Ingranata

Witchblade succeeds as a character piece, but still needs to work on execution to meet its full potential. Alex continues to be an intriguing character as she explores more about herself through her relationship with the Witchblade. The series’ biggest struggle is with scene transitions, with the lack of banners and time stamps it’s easy to lose focus. Roberta Ingranata, with the help of Bryan Valenza’s colors, does a good job at setting the tone for the book, but it’s a shame that there is so little of the Witchblade showcased in this issue. I want to see Ingranata fully flex her art muscles. Witchblade #2 builds the character of Alex Underwood nicely, but doesn’t provide enough Witchblade action to make this a top pick. -Kat

Final Score:

7.9

VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT

Bloodshot Salvation #5

Written by Jeff Lemire | Drawn by Lewis Larosa & Mico Suayan

This issue caps off the series' first story arc in especially brutal fashion, as Bloodshot finds himself transformed back into ordinary, human form at the worst possible moment. Writer Jeff Lemire has had no trouble ramping up the stakes and truly conveying the desperation facing our heroes in both the "Now" and "Soon" timelines. The former very much takes precedence in this issue, with Ray facing the wrath of Magic's twisted hillbilly grandfather. If anything, this issue goes a little overboard with that character, though it makes the climax of the story that much more satisfying. This series also continues to make excellent use of its two artists. Mico Suayan plays much more of a supporting role this time, but his bold, detailed line-work is always a treat. Lewis Larosa thrives in the spotlight here, ensuring his pages ooze tension and power as our beleaguered hero struggles to turn the tables on his captors. -Jesse